Electric spark-gap for interrupters.



No. 884,499. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. T. B. KINRAIDE.

ELECTRIC SPARK GAP FOR. NTERRUPTERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1906.

Wagga the coil shown in my UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

THOMAS B. KINRAIDE, OF JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACHUSETTS.

I ELECTRIC SPARK-GAP FOB INTEBRUPTERB.

Specication of LettersPatent.

Application led April'Z, Serial No'. 818,452.

To all whom 'it l)nay concern:

Beit known that I, TnoMAs B. KINRAIDE,l

a citizen of .the United States, residing at Jamaica Plain, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric S ark Gaps for Interrupters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like arts.

- My invention relates to t at class of spark gaps or interrupters especially adapted to convey heavy low voltage currents of high frequency such for exam le as developed by atent No. 615653. For instance, in my Patent No. 623318 I have provided opposite plates between whose plane surfaces the sparking takes place, and my present invention ailns to maintain the electrodes cool and at the Sallie time prevent permanent oxidizing of their discharge surfaces and thereby prolong their serviceableness indefinitely.

To the above end I have provided automatic means for blowing out the spark instantly, said means consisting of interposing automatically between the discharge surfaces an explosive gas or, in other words it consists in causing an explosion simultaneously with the dischar e which effectually blows out the flame of the dischar e. This explosion, in the preferred emboiment of my invention, is rovided by causing a 1ilm of water to deposlt on the discharge surface or between the two electrodes, said water preferably being maintained at the vrequired point by capillary means. The presence of the water and especially the presence of adjacent bodies of water helps to maintain the electrodes cool and in proper operative condition.

Further details of my invention will be pointed out in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which I have shown one embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing, Figure l represents in side elevation and vertlcal section, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration, one form of my invention adapted to operate as an interrupter or vibrator; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the electrodes.

0n a suitable base 1 is a cooling box or tank 2 for holding water or other cooling medium 3, secured to said base by a stud 4 and nuts 5 and having a sto per 6 in its upper side for the admission of t e water. In its upper side the cooling box 2 has a central threaded aperture 7 in which is removably mounted a tubular electrode holder 8 provided externally with fine threads 9 and engaged by an adjustable cap 10 for giving an extremely accurate and delicate adjustment to an electrode 11 supported thereby to slide in the holder 8.

The electrode 11 constitutes one of the important featuresof my invention and is preferably composed of a bunch of copper wires 12, packed tightly in a sheath or retaining envelop 13 and round ofi flat at their oposite ends as cearly shown in Fig. 1. I

ave found that a bunch of copper wires thus bound together, will afford -a permanent capillary means for maintaining the electrode constantly filled with enough water to provide the desired amount of moisture at the discharge end of the electrode ready at all times to volatilize and explode-when the current passes, thereby blowing out the flame and washing away all oxidation and maintaining the ends of the sparking electrodes clean and in proper operatlve condition. The bunch of wires might be called a'copper wirewick, and it will be understood that the copper wires may be bound together in any wick-form, provided the des1red capillary ducts or assages are provided through the wick or e ectrode of conductive material to permit the passage ofthe re uisite amount of moisture for volatilizing att e discharge end. It is not necessar that wires as such should be used, as the ho es or ducts may be'secured in various other ways and in fact the porous v condition may be provided in a large variety of ways. The essential feature as to this part of the invention, broadly considered, 1s to provide the electrode with means for permitting the water or moisture to enter an extremely limited and yet certain, continuous amount at the end of the electrode so as to be present at or between the meeting or dlscharge ends when the discharge takes place.

The electrode 11 is supported by the adjuster 10 which is provided with an opening or openings 14 for the free admission of water from the surrounding chamber and I prefer to interpose a damper in the form of one or more layers of blotting aper or similar substance 15 for filtering t e water through to vPatented prix 14, 190s. i

IUU

the end of the electrode for the purpose of limiting the capillary action of the latter and thereby further restricting the amount of water. By carefully regulating the amount of Water admitted to the electrode, the products ofcombustion, i. e. the oxid, may be caused to blow out as dry dust or escape as thick paste or thin paste. 'lhis will be referred to again later.

Above the cooling box 2 I provide a similar box 16, provided wlth a vertical tubular center 17 in which is mounted an electrode 18 which may be similar in construction to the electrode 11. In order to carry the water or other cooling medium 19 as close to the sparkin point as possible I provide a depress1on 20 1n the box 16 having a central conical portion 21. Adjacent to this conical portion 1s a downwardly Haring shield 22 which cooperates with an upwardly extending shield or flange 23 in retaining the products of combustion while yet ermittinv a free circulation of air. The ownwardly extending or overhanging part`22 operates to direct the ashes or products of combustion into the collecting basin formed by the cup-shaped top of the tubular portion 8. The upper portion of the a )paratus is mounted on posts 24, the box 16 eing provided with cars 25 for this urpose retained by thumb nuts 26. The liox 16 has a stopper 27 the same as the stopper 6 of the lower box or cooler, and is provided in the apparatus of the drawings, with an operating device for causing rapid interruptlons consistinor of a striker 28, springs 29, 30 and cam 31 as shown and explained in my Patent No. 770431. It will be understood that the apparatus may be operated as a spark gap the same as in my Patent No. 623,318, above mentioned. The upper electrode connects by a rod 32 extendm-g through one of the posts 24 with a binding post 33 and the other electrode connects by the stud 4 with a binding ost 34. I

One o the chief advanta es of my invention is that it enables me to do away with the platinum points which have heretofore been necessary 1n high speed interrupters. By interposing the automatic blow out or deoxidizer, or moisture carrying electrode it becomes perfectly practicable to use copper electrodes, which has heretofore been impossible in this class of apparatus.

My invention enables the discharge to be steady and uniform Without permittinfr imperative oxidizing of the electrodes and 1s es:

pecially ada ted for currents of low voltage such as use with my fiat coil (Patent N o. 615653).

In use the cooling chambers are filled with l water which maintains the electrodes cool, the body of Water being large so as to keep up a more or less continuous circulation adjacent the discharge ends of the electrodes. At every discharge of current the water which pensive materlal of low refractory capacity,

they maintain a high standard of efficiency.

The admission of water is regulated so as to conform to the current used and for desired results, and the electrode is raised or lowered by correspondingly screwing up or down the ca 10.

he electrodes are inexpensive,.readily put in place, and capable of ong and contlnued use.

As already stated, I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown, as a wide variety ofvembodiments is contemplated, within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising opposite discharge electrodes, and means for automatically providing a selfcleaning explosion between them at the moment of current discharge.

` 2. An apparatus of the kind described, 95,

comprising opposite dischar e electrodes, and means for lnterposing a f n1 of moisture between them at the moment of current discharge.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising opposite discharge electrodes, and a supply of fluid adjacent one of said electrodes, said electrodes having capillary means for conveying said moisture to the discharge ends of the electrodes.

4. In an a paratus of the kind described, opposite disc arge electrodes, and means for providing a film of moisture at their discharge area for keeping the electrodes clean.

5. In an aplparatus of the kind described, an electrode aving a multitude of capillary ducts closely arranged therethrough from end to end, said electrode consistlng of a bundle of wires extending from one terminal of the electrode to the op osite terminal thereof, and means for bin g said wires tightly together, the tpassages between'said wlres constituting sai ducts.

6. In an a paratus of the kind described, an electrode liaving a multitude of capillary ducts closely arranged therethrough from end to end, said electrode consisting of a bundle of co per Wires extending from one terminal of tllie electrode to the opposite ter.- minal thereof, and means for binding said copper wires tightly together, the passages between said copper wires constituting said ducts.

7. In a high frequency discharge a paratus, opposite electrodes for dischargingieavy currents of low voltage, said electrodes being composed of conductive material of low reractory capacity, and provided with means o erated by the current, ,for automatically c eaning` all oxidation and products of combustion from their discharge ends at each discharge of current.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, opposite water coolers, havin central tubu'- lar holders, opposite electro es adjustably mounted in said holders and rejecting toward each other therefrom, at t eir discharge ends between said coolers, and means between said coolers for retaining the products ,of combustion which fall from between said Y electro des.

, 9. In an apparatus of the kind described, opposite water coolers, havin central tubular holders, opposite electro es adjustably mounted in said holders and rejecting toward each other therefrom, at t eir discharge ends between said coolers, and means bey tween said coolers for retaining the products like electrode mounted in said holder to engage said cap.

11. In an apparatus ofthe kind described,-

a water cooler, a removable tubular holder therein, a cap. adjustably secured to the inner end of said holder', said cap being perforated to admit water from the cooler, a wick-like electrode mounted in said holder to engage said cap, and a moisture-limiting damper interposed between said electrode and the openin in said cap.

12. n an apparatus of the kind described, a water cooler, a removable tubular holder therein, a cap adjustably secured to the inner end of said holder, said cap being perforated to admit wate'r from the cooler, and an electrode mounted in said holder, said holder having a cup-shaped outer end extending about the proj ectin end of said electrode.

13. A water coo er, having a depending central portion, a central tube extending up from said dependin portion, and an electrode mounted in said central tube, said depending portion havin a downwardly {iaring deflector about sai electrode for divertin `the products of combustion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS B. KIN RAIDE.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, WM. J. PIKE. 

